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Original poster

How much to pay babysitter?

39 replies

chaosisawayoflife · 02/05/2010 14:50

One of the girls from DD's nursery is babysitting for me tomorrow as I have to go to work despite it being a bank holiday. I work 12 hour shifts so she'll be looking after DD from 7.45am to about 8.15pm. I asked her how much she wanted to charge and she said she'd let me decide how much I want to pay her! Argh! What would you charge for a 12.5 hour day? It's in my home and dd is nearly 2.

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Original poster
chaosisawayoflife · 03/05/2010 22:06

I agree, JETS, what are you getting at? I asked advice on what a fair rate was, I didn't ask for how little I could get away with paying her, and in fact I have paid her more than the vast majority of people on here advised. I'm not sure your post makes sense.

OP posts:
luciemule · 03/05/2010 20:51

HOw do you mean JETS? A responsible adult would surely look after a child no matter how much you paid them. I certainly wouldn't look after a child any less responsibly for £2.50 an hour than for £10 an hour.

JETS · 03/05/2010 15:59

What would you do if something actually happened - pay her the wage to look after your child - it should reflect the value of this statement!

Hopandpop · 02/05/2010 23:55

my friend works in a nursery and babysit occasioanaly she said she would be happy with 5 pounds an hour, bank holiday or not!

Blondeshavemorefun · 02/05/2010 17:57

Sounds good to me

hope work goes well for you tomorrow

Missus84 · 02/05/2010 17:54

That sounds very sensible chaos.

Original poster
chaosisawayoflife · 02/05/2010 17:49

Thanks all. Gosh, I didn't expect so many responses. I was thinking in the area of £80 so I'm glad to see that's not either ridiculously high or low according to general consensus. She is young, experienced but not qualified. I'm hoping the nursery are also paying her for tomorrow since I'm paying them even though they're closed! Therefore I'm effectively paying double time anyway! Unfortunately I probably would be better off not going to work but that's not an option, the nature of my job means I can't. And DH is away which is why I'm having to get childcare, normally he'd do it. I think I'll stick with £80 as I'd sort of planned. It will probably be higher than she expected but I don't want to take the piss. She's a lovely girl, DD's favourite, and it would be very handy for us if she's willing to do babysitting for us again so I don't want to undervalue her and put her off helping out again.

OP posts:
FabIsGoingToGetFit · 02/05/2010 17:45

My suggestion is to pay what you can afford and what you will be happy to pay.

Missus84 · 02/05/2010 17:24

Purepurple - this isn't in a nursery though. This is sole charge care in the child's home.

gemmummy · 02/05/2010 17:23

I'd say 50 or 60 quid is about right TBH. Trust me, she'll be well happy with that.

purepurple · 02/05/2010 17:22

Where I live, in the NW, a nursery that pays £8 an hour doesn't exist.
Minimum wage or just over is what you can expect to earn.

Missus84 · 02/05/2010 17:18

"To suggest a days work of that nature is worth £100 is ridiculous"

No, actually I don't think it's ridiculous at all. It's £8 an hour

Blondeshavemorefun · 02/05/2010 17:14

Tbh you both should have discussed this earlier

wages all depend on the person

I wouldn't work for less than £10ph on a normal day so looking at £120+ for me for. 12ht day ( but I'm old and very experienced) saying that I actually charge time and a half if I ever work bh so £180 for a 12hr day

parents have been happy with that as I tell them my rates and they still use me

I am sure some of you on here are now fainting with shock lol

whatever you pay it should def be over nmw so at LEAST £72

smallishsheep · 02/05/2010 17:14

If she works at the nursery presumably she is salaried for tomorrow anyway. To suggest a days work of that nature is worth £100 is ridiculous, the bank holiday aspect is a red herring.

purplefish · 02/05/2010 17:10

How much will you get paid tomorrow? Maybe you could halve that ie half for you and half for her?

Missus84 · 02/05/2010 17:06

It's not just "having a nice day" though, it's working - and giving up 12 hours of a bank holiday. To say that the person looking after your child all day is only worth £4 an hour to you is pretty insulting.

smallishsheep · 02/05/2010 17:03

I don't undervalue your work
I'm just saying, if it were me, I'd offer £50, and I'd be happy to take that to if the roles were reversed. I look after my dc all day for nothing. I know it's not the same thing at all, but I would think the babysitter tomorrow has the chance at having a nice day with the child, and the bonus of getting paid for it too. If it is so damn loathsome to you, and you'd expect 'at least £100 for that' then noone's making you do it

purepurple · 02/05/2010 17:00

I work in an nursery and spend all day dealing with fights, tears, tantrums, accidents and lost belongings. And that's just the staff

Missus84 · 02/05/2010 16:59

I think it's a shame that people so undervalue the work of childcarers.

Laquitar · 02/05/2010 16:55

lol at 'just playing, feeding and enternating her'.

smallishsheep · 02/05/2010 16:55

I know missus. Welcome to my life

Missus84 · 02/05/2010 16:53

In a nursery you have the support and back-up of colleagues and managers, the day is mapped out, and it's a shorter working day with breaks. Sole charge of a toddler is much more responsibility with no breaks.

smallishsheep · 02/05/2010 16:50

'Harder and more responsibility' than a day at nursery? I beg to differ. God only knows what I should be being paid for looking after my ds then. I should imagine the day will involve a walk to the park, a nap, some colouring and some playing. You can't compare it to nursery

luciemule · 02/05/2010 16:50

I would have thought that if she was bothered, she would have said how much she wanted.

purepurple · 02/05/2010 16:49

Give her £60 which is just under £5 an hour but more than the £50 suggested.
My reasoning is this

she is probably young and has no family of her own
she is probably getting paid for today anyway
she has not named her own price

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